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Eric Bledsoe hoping soon to be back with Suns

PHOENIX -- Once they completed their shooting work Monday, Phoenix Suns players were free to leave the court early following a light practice. They just could not pull away from the much-missed sight of

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PHOENIX -- Once they completed their shooting work Monday, Phoenix Suns players were free to leave the court early following a light practice.

They just could not pull away from the much-missed sight of teammate Eric Bledsoe playing at US Airways Center.

It was only three-on-three competition among teammates but it still was an important step for a point guard who has been going through rehabilitation for about six weeks since his Jan. 10 right knee arthroscopy.

The Suns, who host Minnesota on Tuesday, are not sending out "Save the Date" invitations for Bledsoe's return but now can be confident that there will be a return. The Suns want to work Bledsoe into full practices with full-court, five-on-five scrimmages and then will wait a few days to ensure the knee does not have any swelling. He might not be ready to practice until next week, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said.

The next reaction will be from the team. After playing 31 of 55 games without him and going 14-11 since his injury, the Suns have the welcome issue of adjusting to a team with Bledsoe.

Goran Dragic emerged as an All-Star candidate because he thrived with the ball but was primarily an off-guard when playing with Bledsoe earlier this season. Gerald Green struggled in early December when he returned to the bench after Bledsoe healed from a shin bruise, shooting 29 percent and averaging 6.9 points over seven games. Ish Smith, who has provided a recent spark, and Leandro Barbosa figure to drop out of the regular rotation with Bledsoe back.

"When you're putting a guy back into your rotation, there's going to be some adjustment," Hornacek said. "Roles will change a little bit but they're all professional players and they've all been in other situations where their roles have been different. I expect them to accept what's going on for the team's sake."

Dragic and Bledsoe figure to balance the playmaking more evenly this time, especially with Bledsoe being limited initially in his return. Green, a career backup, eventually came out of the rut as a reserve and played like he has most of the season. Barbosa, who might return to action tonight from a toe sprain, has not done enough to be missed if he falls out of the rotation.

Most important, the Suns' best potential as a team this season is with Bledsoe. They went 16-8 in his appearances, when he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals.

"I know what I have to do," Dragic said. "He knows what he has to do. We're not going to have any problems with chemistry. It's just going to make some things easier for us. I can play off the ball a little bit to not have so much pressure on me. It's a good thing."

This season's system is based on having a two-headed playmaker, Dragic and Bledsoe, so that the ball can be swung from side to side and expose mismatches and opponents' overloads.

"That's a great weapon for us to have," Hornacek said. "We can mix and match like we said going into the season. If one guy has an advantage on a guy, then we'll go to him and let him do it. Hopefully, we can get right back into that rhythm where they were playing 16-8 ball. They'll both have plenty of opportunities. It should be fun."

As important, the Suns are better defensively with Bledsoe. His athleticism makes it tough for driving guards to finish. His strength and speed helps him get over the top of screens to disrupt opposing plays early. When paired with Dragic, Bledsoe was assigned the tougher guards. If the Suns make the playoffs, they will want Bledsoe on Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook or Tony Parker in potential first-round series.

The Suns just might need the boost entering the final seven weeks, as Memphis is finally full-strength and coming on strong since the New Year. The Grizzlies make it a four-team race with Dallas, Golden State and Phoenix for three playoff spots.

Bledsoe, in his first starting season, has been pining to be part of that scene. He was a happy man to have 30 minutes of three-on-three play Monday after weeks of tedious, repetitive rehabilitation.

"It was unbelievable," Bledsoe said. "I felt a little bit relieved.

"I didn't think I was going to be that fast or that quick coming back. When I continue to progress, I think it's going to be a whole lot better."

Don't believe him? Ask the player who tried to defend him in his first pseudo-competition since injuring the knee Dec. 30.

"I'm up on him and he was using his speed to get by me and using pick-and-roll great, hitting his jump shot," rookie Dionte Christmas said. "He looked like how he practiced in practice two months ago. He's back. I can't wait until everybody sees him. He's looking real good. He had his athleticism. Whoever did his surgery (team physician Thomas Carter) is amazing."